| CODE | PLC5442 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Youth in Digital Culture | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Youth ministry—like life itself—happens in a context of wider human interaction mediated by language, symbols, customs, attitudes and values. This cultural context seems deterministic, since from childhood, it instills in us ways of understanding and being in the world that imprint us for life. At the same time, however, not only are cultures constantly evolving, but the human is the artist who creates culture, even if that freedom and capacity to create depend on how well we are able to read intelligently the signs of the times and 'manipulate' the dynamism of cultural evolution. This study-unit shall be discussing the wider context of youth work, with a specific interest on Generation Z (Gen Z) who are truly the digital natives. How is this cohort different from other cohorts, and thus, how shall the youth minister adapt their ministry within the digital context that is their natural environment? We shall attempt to learn to interpret the dynamics of our contemporary times through the Practical Theology tradition which attempts to merge the social sciences with a constructivist inductive approach to theology. Study-Unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to discuss the digital culture in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) youths are living in. We shall be studying a theoretical framework to study generations, proceeding with McLuhan's method of cultural interpretation to examine the effects on culture of any technology. In the second part of the study-unit, we shall be specifically discussing Gen Z's habits as opposed to other generations including: - social media: facts related to their interaction on social media; - the role of influencers within a post-truth culture; - their gaming habits: which games they play, how long they play, and why do they play, with a specific attention to local data; In the third part we shall review theological sources which specifically discuss youth and how the youth worker in Malta is to respond to these cultural changes. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the inter-disciplinary school of thought 'media ecology', and its primary exponents; - Present and then evaluate sociological theories of generations and the different ways how they do their analysis of generational mindsets; - Identify multiple facets that characterize Gen Z as "digital natives" and thus present a more holistic and nuanced overview of the current generation of youth - Present and then analyse principles of the British inter-disciplinary school of "Practical Theology" that relies on sociological study for its theological reflection and suggested pastoral implementation; - Apply the Lonerganian framework for reasonable action (experience, understand, judge and then decide) for an effective pastoral response to a properly founded cultural hermeneutic. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply "media ecological principles" as a theoretical lens to 'cultural literacy' through studying technical phenomena, especially digital media; - Apply the four "Laws of Media" more specifically to critically evaluate the effects on culture-making of particular technologies; - Apply different Practical Theological methods to study the sociological context scientifically; - Then compare it to the theoretical construct for cultural hermeneutics offered by media ecology to tease out main "cultural imaginaries"; - Then offer a critical theological analysis of the imaginaries, evaluating the extent to which they allow the human to flourish based on the capacities of the age; - Lastly to propose pastoral initiatives to respond to the "signs of the times" in particular for generation Z. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Bristow, Jennie. The Sociology of Generations. Palgrave Pivot. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2016. - McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media : The Extensions of Man. Routledge, 1964. - Pope Francis. ‘Christus Vivit’. Vatican: Vatican Press, 2015. - Twenge, Jean M. IGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us. Reprint edition. New York: Atria Books, 2018.*** - Wagner, Rachel. Godwired: Religion, Ritual and Virtual Reality. Routledge, 2012. - Ward, Pete. Introducing Practical Theology : Mission, Ministry, and the Life of the Church. Paperback. Baker Academic, 2017. - Zarra, Ernest J. The Entitled Generation : Helping Teachers Teach and Reach the Minds and Hearts of Generation Z. Illustrated. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. - Zirschky, Andrew. Beyond the Screen : Youth Ministry for the Connected but Alone Generation. Abingdon Press, 2015 Supplementary Readings: - Archdiocese of Malta. ‘One Church, One Journey: A Process of Ecclesial Discernment 2020-2024’. Malta, 2020. - Austin, Corey. ‘Gaming: The Key to Gen Z’. Digital Trends, 2018. https://richards.com/blog/gaming-key-gen-z/. - Baker, Samuel. ‘Who’s Shaping Whom? Digital Disruption in the Spiritual Lives of Post-Familial Emerging Adults’. Journal of Youth and Theology 16, no. 2 (21 November 2017): 117–43. https://doi.org/10.1163/24055093-01602003. - Bell, Benjamin. ‘A Catholic Youth Ministry in the Third Space: Towards a Theological Praxis for Urban Youth Ministry’. King’s College, London, 2013. - Cahalan, Kathleen A. ‘Locating Practical Theology in Catholic Theological Discourse and Practice’. International Journal of Practical Theology 15, no. 1 (January 2011): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijpt.2011.023. - Campbell, Heidi. 'Who's Got the Power? Religious Authority and the Internet,' Journal of Computer-mediated Communication 12, no. 3 (2007): 1043-1062 - Chap, Clark, ed. Youth Ministry in the 21st Century : Five Views. Baker Academic, 2015. - Codrington, Graeme. ‘Detailed Introduction to Generational Theory’. Tomorrow Today Global, no. July (2008): 1–15. - Dell Technologies United States. ‘Gen Z: The Future Has Arrived’. Dell Technologies United States, 2018. - Elmore, Tim. ‘6 Terms That Summarize Generation Z’s Mindset ’. Psychology Today, 28 September 2017. - Hart-Brinson, Peter. ‘The Mechanisms of Generational Change: Triggers and Processes’. SocArXiv, 2018, 30. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/d5ytz. - Hunt, Jodi G. ‘The Digital Way: Re-Imagining Digital Discipleship in The Age of Social Media’. Journal of Youth and Theology 18, no. 2 (6 December 2019): 91–112. https://doi.org/10.1163/24055093-01802003. - Jha, Amrit Kumar. ‘Understanding Generation Alpha’. OSF 66 (20 June 2020): 12. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/d2e8g. - Mandeep, Kohli, and Bhalla Karishma. ‘Coming up: Young, Vibrant Gen Z Gaming That Will Be Immersive and Create New Online Realities’. Livemint, June 2019. - McCrindle, Mark. ‘Generations Defined’. In The ABC of XYZ: Understanding the Global Generations, Reprinted., 1–16. Bella Vista: UNSW Press, 2014. - McLuhan, Marshall, and McLuhan, Eric. Laws of Media : The New Science. University of Toronto P., 1988. - MediaKix. ‘What’s The Difference Between “The Plurals” & Gen Z? ’. Media Kix. Accessed 11 February 2020. https://mediakix.com/blog/plurals-generation-z-marketers-guide/. - Nash, Sally, and Jo Whitehead, eds. Christian Youth Work in Theory and Practice. SCM Press, 2014. - Nel, Malan. ‘Imagine-Making Disciples in Youth Ministry ... That Will Make Disciples’. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 71, no. 3 (2015): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v71i3.2940. - Pirch, Jonathan. ‘GenZ & Gaming – Who’s Playing What?’, 12 August 2017. - Radde-Antweiler, Kerstin, Michael Waltmathe, and Xenia Zeiler. ‘Video Gaming, Let’ s Plays, and Religion: The Relevance of Researching Gamevironments’. Gamevironments, no. 1 (2014): 1–38. - Robertson, Steve. ‘Generation Z Characteristics & Traits That Explain the Way They Learn’. Julian Krinsky Camps and Programs, July 2018. - Root, Andrew. Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry : From a Strategy of Influence to a Theology of Incarnation. IVP Books, 2007. - Slefo, George. ‘Fortnite Emerges as a Social Media Platform for Gen Z’. Adage, June 2019. - Strauss, Alex. ‘Two-Thirds of Gen Z Males Say Gaming Is a Core Component of Who They Are’. 4 A’s, February 2019. - Strauss, William, and Neil Howe. Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069. Ebook. Quill, 1991. - Vision Critical. ‘The Everything Guide to Generation Z’, 2019. - Whistle Research Centre. ‘Gen-Z Connects via Gaming’, 2019. Other resources will be added on the VLE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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